In 2010 there was a hiccup at Hard Case Crime, and its fans found themselves without a regular dose of the dark and lonely. Last week though, Hard Case Crime returned to the racks, with not one but two hard-boiled offerings from two Grandmasters of the form.

There are plenty of films out there that make us hopeful about life and living. Film noir is a guilty pleasure where we witness the denizens of society's bottom rungs stamping on each other's feet for a higher, safer position.